MINI-REVIEWS: January 2020

Anti-Flag – 20/20 Vision

Everything you would expect from Anti-Flag in 2020. They don’t mince words in discussing how they feel about the current state of politics in the U.S. (not that they ever have). Musically raw, and lyrically pointed, this is a pure and simple Anti-Flag album. And due to the abundance of subject matter they had to work with, this is a good one for sure. As Anti-Flag grow, their sound becomes more melodic and palatable, but their philosophical conviction never wavers. On 20/20 Vision, we see Anti-Flag unafraid to dabble in balladry, and expand their sonic palette with piano, strings, and slide guitar. What all this amounts to is essentially one of the best Anti-Flag albums to date.

Score: 4/5

Pinegrove – Marigold

Pinegrove definitely took a more mainstream accessible approach with this one. The band’s fourth studio album boasts very crisp, clean production, more traditional song structures, and exceptionally sweet melodies. Having been a pretty big fan of Skylight, I initially wasn’t sure what to think about this approach, but upon a couple listens, I found this album pretty enjoyable. Marigold is as chill, pleasant, and musically interesting as Pinegrove has ever been, while featuring higher production value and a more honed in sense of melody. The biggest hiccup here is the closing track, an instrumental piece that doesn’t really go anywhere. It feels like the opening to a song we never hear the rest of, and it certainly has no business being six minutes long. Apart from this track, there really aren’t any skips. Great release overall, up to Pinegrove’s established standards, while showing growth and evolution within the band.

Score: 4/5

Destroyer – Have We Met

It’s hard to go into a Destroyer album without expecting excellence. And what can I say? Have We Met delivers. This time around, we hear Destroyer rely much more heavily on synthesizers, electronic sounds, and clean, precise performance and production, a stark contrast from the more jam-oriented approach the band has traditionally employed on their most popular records. And while this doesn’t seem like a change of pace I would be crazy about, I have to say this is some of the best music I’ve heard from Destroyer. The synth-heavy sound is utilized to give the album a lush, atmospheric sonic character, and is peppered top to bottom with clean, blues-inspired lead guitar work. All of this compliments Dan Bejar’s unmistakable Bowie-inspired crooning, and accentuates the beauty and introspection of his lyrics. Fans of Destroyer’s jazzy, chaotic sound may be taken aback by the cleaner, softer approach to writing and production, but Have We Met certainly stands as a unique and accomplished record in Destroyer’s ever-growing discography.

Score: 4.5/5

Theory of a Deadman – Say Nothing

Oh come on! This has been such a good month for rock. But I suppose all good things must eventually come to an end. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Theory of a Deadman is apparently still a thing. And while I was sure they were just going to make the exact same album for the seventh time, I must say that the overall style is the one area where this album actually surprised me. They actually brought their bland, generic approach to vanilla rock into the new decade with an album that sounds somewhere between Twenty One Pilots and Imagine Dragons. Now I’m not sure if going from butt rock to millennial pop is a step up or down, but either way, in true Theory tradition, this album isn’t good at all. I guess I’ll give them credit for actually trying something different for once (and dialing it down with the misogyny), but Say Nothing is every bit as gutless and generic as anything this band has ever given us. Only this time, we get the added cringe factor of occasional rapping, a bro country song, and lame attempts at referencing internet culture throughout. Lyrically, the band sound slightly more mature here than they did in the 2000s, but not all that much more original. The band make a noticeable effort to age into the new decade, but they do it poorly nonetheless.

Score: 1/5